Seeing that he seemed to have fallen asleep, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered a gentle reminder, "Brother Adam, don't sleep here. You'll catch a cold. Let me help you inside, okay?"
However, this time, no matter how many times she called out to him, Adam Sinclair didn't answer.
It wasn't until she grabbed his hand, which was already as cold as a stone, that she froze on the spot, completely stunned.
She dropped his hand and threw her arms around him, one moment pressing her ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat, the next moment checking for breath from his nose.
Only when the birds in the treetops rustled and took flight did she let out a horrified wail, "Brother Adam—!"
The sound sent the birds scattering in every direction. The entire courtyard fell into a dead silence, with only Ashley Bowen's cries to be heard.
By the time Claire Sutton arrived at the quadrangle courtyard with her daughter, Adam Sinclair's body had long since grown cold.
